Brookhaven Rail Terminal creates “The Green Rail Award”

Greg Goodale, Director of Purchasing at Riverhead Building Supply (left) joins Andrew Kaufman, President of Brookhaven Rail Terminal. Riverhead Building supply is the recipient of the inaugural Green Rail Award, presented to Long Island Companies which protect our environment by transporting their products to and from the metro region via rail.

Brookhaven Rail Terminal, which annually takes almost 300,000 tons of freight off Long Island roads, is creating “The Green Rail Award,” which will annually recognize companies and corporate leaders who have committed themselves to using rail to move products to and from the metro region and thereby contribute to the strengthening of our environment.

Andrew Kaufman, President of Brookhaven Rail Terminal (BRT), stated, “Rail freight moves daily, unseen onto and off the island, underscoring its quiet efficiency in reducing our shared carbon footprint while offering a cost effective means of shipping valuable commodities and products. But its contribution to the health of the environment shouldn’t be allowed to exist in the shadows. We need to acknowledge the corporations and executive leaders who have made a conscious decision to `catch a ride’ on Green Rails.

BRT’s Yaphank facility literally connects Long Island to global markets through BRT's access to the nation’s extensive rail network that lies just beyond the Hudson River.

And the award goes to…..

The company’s first “Green Rail Award” is being presented to Riverhead Building Supply (RBS) which serves Long Island’s 2.8 million people with a vast array of products and services, with thousands of residential and commercial customers making daily pilgrimages to their 14 regional stores. Kaufman explained, “From plywood to structural lumber suppliers to RBS place these essential items on trains to ensure they get from manufacturer to end user in the most environmentally sensitive way possible. By using rail freight and accessing BRT warehousing facilities at the rail yards, they can create effective, efficient logistics that benefit the environment and the consumer.”

RBS Director of Purchasing Greg Goodale stated, “We are honored to be the recipient of this award as it reflects a longstanding commitment to finding green alternatives that are efficient, innovative, and accessible. Today’s 21st Century rail freight meets that definition.”

BRT’s infrastructure allows companies to ship and store commodities in refrigerated, climate-controlled and dry warehousing. That not only lowers costs but creates more flexibility in responding to the market. A dramatic example of that flexibility was the enormous amount of construction materials quickly brought on to Long Island in the wake of a recent tropical storm whose high winds wreaked havoc across Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Brookhaven Rail Terminal was formed by local, established Long Island business professionals. BRT is the first multi-modal rail freight facility on Long Island to provide rail based shipping, warehousing and Logistic Services to this critical U.S. market.